I really enjoyed the first season of Belgravia: The Next Chapter. It’s about a young couple’s first year together. There are also very strong subplots about their siblings, their neighbours, and their staff.

The show got me thinking about how historical fiction can stay true to the past and yet appeal to modern tastes.

It’s set in the 1870s and touches on some features of that time, most notably the severe difficulties faced by gay men, unmarried mothers, and disabled children. We all know that a lot has changed for all three groups over the last 50 years. Our modern sensibilities are very different to those of the 1870s.

What I liked about the show is that some of the characters voiced the views that were mainstream at the time. This helps us to understand why people thought as they did.

I was impressed by how the writers balanced this historical accuracy with modern sensibilities. The characters’ conversations reflected the 1870s, but the action of the plot led to outcomes that appeal to 2020s thinking.

Belgravia: The Next Chapter demonstrates that it’s possible to stay true to history while still appealing to current social values. The solution isn’t to make the characters say modern things. It’s to help them overcome the worst aspects of their time in a way that pleases us today.

Of course, there are other ways to accurately reflect history within the parameters of present-day tastes. Belgravia: The Next Chapter is designed to be cosy evening TV. Naturally, its approach is relatively cheerful.

I’ve been watching season one of a supernatural horror called The Terror. It’s a fictionalised account of a real British expedition that went missing in the Arctic in the 1840s.

To me, The Terror feels very authentically historical, but it has two elements that appeal to modern sensibilities while staying in keeping with the time.

Firstly, the characters are well written. We can relate to them as human beings who have the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities as us. They struggle with the same human emotions that affect us today.

Secondly, the supernatural element, although well integrated into the story, can be interpreted by viewers as a modern comment on British colonialism. The British characters are literally blundering into an indigenous spirit that does not want them there.

The lesson to be learned from both shows is that it’s not necessary to make characters say modern things to create historical fiction that is suitable for modern readers/viewers.

Dialogue that sounds too modern can be a problem for writers of historical fiction, so this is worth remembering.